Kieran Green says the Mariners remain firmly focused on the next challenge as the Sky Bet League Two season enters its decisive phase.

Town moved into the play-off places following last weekend’s draw with Bromley, but the club captain insists the squad’s mentality remains unchanged with 11 matches still to play.

“I’m delighted to be in the play-offs,” Green said. “But I don’t think it changes too much whether we were seventh, eighth, or ninth.

“It’s only ever about the next game for us, and that’ll be the case right until the end of the season.”

Staying grounded

With every point becoming increasingly important as the campaign reaches its final stretch, Greeny acknowledged the significance of the run-in while stressing the importance of maintaining perspective.

“We’re certainly aware that every point matters at this stage,” he explained. “But like I said, it doesn’t really change too much for us.

“It’s just about focusing on the next game and preparing the right way.”

Town created several promising moments in the 1-1 draw against Bromley, and while Green admitted there was some disappointment afterwards, the midfielder believes the team can quickly move forward.

“We were disappointed not to take all three points,” he said. “Looking back on it, there were areas where we could maybe have taken advantage of our good play a bit better.

“But nothing can be done about that now, so we move on.”

Leading the team

Green has worn the captain’s armband for the majority of the season and says stepping into the role has felt natural, having already been part of the club’s leadership group.

“I’ve always been within the leadership group here,” he said. “Obviously Danny was our captain, but it sort of just felt natural really.

“It wasn’t a big moment as such, but I’m certainly very pleased and proud.”

The midfielder added that the responsibility has not changed his approach on the pitch.

“It’s more just business as usual really,” he explained. “Danny had a couple of injuries towards the end so I’d had the honour of leading the lads out before.

“So it just sort of feels like the norm.”

Continuing to develop

Individually, Green believes he has continued to build on the progress made during the previous season with the Mariners.

“I’m just trying to build on last season really,” he said. “Keep getting into good areas, keep trying to affect the game higher up the pitch and play whatever role within the team I can.”

That willingness to adapt has been a key part of Town’s collective approach throughout the campaign.

“It’s about doing whatever you can for the team,” he added.

Preparing for Oldham

Attention now turns to Saturday’s trip to Boundary Park, where the Mariners face an Oldham Athletic side currently enjoying a strong defensive run.

The Latics are unbeaten in six matches and have conceded just once in their last five games, boasting the best clean-sheet record in the league.

For Green, patience will be crucial.

“We know they’re very difficult to break down,” he said. “Their defensive record speaks for itself.

“It’s just about patience and doing what we do. We know what we’re capable of and that we can mix it with the best.”

The Boxing Day meeting between the sides finished goalless, and Green believes the main lesson from that encounter is not to rush the game.

“It’s about not trying to win the game in the first ten minutes,” he explained. “We’ve had examples this season where we’ve won games late on, so it might take right up to the final moments.”

He also highlighted the importance of staying alert throughout.

“The game isn’t always won in 90 minutes. Sometimes it’s beyond that,” he said. “You’ve got to stay sharp and be ready to take your chance when it comes.”

A busy schedule ahead

Saturday’s match also marks the start of a demanding period for the Mariners, with five games scheduled across the next two weeks.

Greeny believes starting that run with a positive result could be important.

“It’ll be massive,” he said. “There’s a lot of games coming up, but like I said, it’s just about the next one.

“We’ll give this game absolutely everything, and once it’s done you quickly move on to the next.”

With matches arriving thick and fast, the captain sees an opportunity as much as a challenge.

“That’s the beauty of games coming so quickly,” he added. “Straight away, you’re just onto the next one.”

You can watch Kieran Green’s full pre-match interview with the club media here:

UTM